Burlington County schools bring laptops into lesson plans

Monday

Sep 30, 2019 at 7:00 AM

As schools are start introducing laptops that students can take home it's improving equal access for students and preparing them for the future.

Gone are the days where students in a group project have to coordinate a time and place to meet after school. That can be done online. Or at least, that’s the case for some Burlington County schools, including Rancocas Valley, Lumberton, Willingboro and the county’s technical and special services schools.

Across the county, school districts are integrating portable computers and tablets into classrooms where young digital natives, for the most part, are familiar with the devices already. Officials say the technology is enhancing lesson plans, encouraging teamwork and making progress toward equal access.

“It’s the whole idea that you can learn anywhere, any place, at any time,” Superintendent Christopher Nagy said of Burlington County Institute of Technology’s one-to-one program that ensures one device per one student. “Everyone learns differently. It respects pace and the ability levels of each student, and it gives staff members an opportunity to learn new tools. Everyone’s working together and growing together.”

Nagy said the work his district and others are doing is reflective of a national trend. According to a 2018 survey from the Center for Digital Education, more than 90% of responding districts from 24 states said they’re providing computers, digital curriculum, and professional development in order to encourage personalized learning practices.

“Why not give students the chance to transform their learning into creative solutions? By doing that they have 21st century skills like collaboration and critical thinking. We want to instill that in students. Those are skills businesses are looking for,” Nagy said.

“Students will have the ability to access software right on their Chromebook to enhance learning,” said BCIT communications coordinator Michele Hill, a former high school Spanish teacher “It gives a lot more opportunities to personalize education and expand what we can do.”

It’ll also be especially helpful for the special services district, where Hill said students who have difficulty reading can take advantage of speech-to-text features.

Some teachers are adopting Google Classroom to give homework assignments that can be filed digitally, which Lumberton Superintendent Joe Langowski said is helping his school save trees and costs for paper.

At Rancocas Valley, instructional technology supervisor George Hatziandreou said the school piloted MacBook Air laptops last year to two teachers and 25 freshmen who had both those teachers in their schedules. This year, it’s been extended to 160 students of mixed grade levels and 19 teachers.

“Technology can be a good or a bad thing, and we’re getting teenagers to make appropriate decisions before they get out of high school,” RV Superintendent Christopher Heilig said.

Over the summer, Pennsylvania lawmakers approved a bill that would let schools have students “work from home” on snow days in the winter. Nagy said that could be a possibility in New Jersey too as students use the Google Suite more often, and as take-home technology is introduced to more grade levels.

But perhaps most importantly, Hill said having a one-to-one program will level the playing field for all students.

“Every student has a different background. Some students come from disadvantaged homes where they may not have had regular access to different technology. Now, having these devices gives every student the ability to access technology and software they might not have had before.

“That’s a really important part for a teacher — to know your students have the devices and software they need to compete with students who might’ve had a different advantage.”

Hatziandreou said the laptops are having a similar impact at Rancocas Valley.

“Students might not have that technology when they go home, and they might not have anything that prepares them for what they want to do when they’re leaving high school. Being able to use technology in this day and age is essential in any job.”

However, like with all things, he said the one-to-one technology is being used in moderation, and even students who are used to using the devices don’t want to be on them all day.

“Everyone has to find a balance. It’s not about students coming in and having a whole day on the computer,” Hatziandreou said. It’s a natural thing to do, to get on the internet. The more we educate on how to use it, the better they’ll be moving forward.”

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